Diversity, Equality, & Inclusion In The Workplace

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As the workforce continues to globalize, many challenges that human resource departments face on a day-to-day basis become more complex. Comparable to just a couple of decades ago, the workforce was fairly stable and most working professionals would spend their entire career at just one company. Nowadays, that is far from the reality of what is occurring.

Though most would contribute compensation packages as the main reason why one would leave one firm to go to another, there are three topics that receive limited awareness until recently and within the last few years. The topic of today’s discussion looks at these topics that most may not realize is becoming an epidemic in businesses big and small today: diversity, equality, and inclusion. 
 
Diversity, Equality, & Inclusion – Why It Matters
 
It can’t be stated enough that having a diverse workforce is critical to the success of a firm. Having a workforce that is identical restricts a company’s ability to grow and prosper. Not only that, it can starve a firm of the resources necessary when certain situations pop up that they don’t plan for. As mentioned on the British Council’s website, they commented that their “work is based on building meaningful, enduring and respectful relationships across different cultures” (British Council, 2018).
 
Thus, this ties into two reasons why it matters to execute a diverse, equal, and inclusive workforce. In the economy we are presently in, it is an employees’ market as a start. In other words, there are more jobs available than able workers. As noted in an article written by Susan Heathfield, some of her 10 reasons why people leave their jobs can be directly tied into diversity, equality, and inclusion. Relationships with leadership, coworkers, and overall corporate culture were reasons within the article that can be applied here (Heathfield, 2018). Regardless of one’s age, gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, and so on, employees need to feel welcomed and appreciated for who they are and the assets that they bring with them (Morgan, 2018). As Mary Alice Vuicic, Executive Vice-President and Chief People Officer (CPO) of Thomson Reuter’s commented in her article, “diverse teams need to be the expectation, not the exception. Managers who are not leading in this area must be examined to determine if they are they part of the solution, or part of the problem” (Vulcic, 2018).
 
The other reason that companies need to focus more on diversity, equality, and inclusion applies the need to be accountable for their hiring decisions. Companies should make it a top priority within their executive leadership team to have standards in place which focuses on attracting quality diverse candidates. This can be done through implementing programs within and working with organizations within the communities they serve. Though some may argue that it is merely a publicity stunt, it is far from that. It is a way to build for the future and ensure persons that otherwise may be looked past can be part of that company’s journey of success.
 
One Step Forward
 
Now that one understands diversity, equality, and inclusion, it is indisputable that it is a topic that can see great improvement both in the short-term and long-term. But, what is just ONE thing a company can do right now in the moment to progress this forward? In truth, it isn’t all that difficult. All that has to be done is to “create a welcoming and open environment that showcases respect and appreciation for all employees, and for people in general. To build diversity in your organization, define what it means and what it looks like, then tie the program to something meaningful (Morgan, 2018). Doing just this small bit can do wonders for a business – reduce turnover, increase productivity, and give employees something positive to share to others. Conclusively, leadership should always remember that who they lead are often their most diverse salesforce outside of the company.
 
References
 

• Equality, diversity and inclusion. (n.d.). Retrieved September 19, 2018, from https://www.britishcouncil.org/organisation/how-we-work/equality-diversity-inclusion.
• Heathfield, S. M. (2018, August 13). 10 Critical Reasons Why People Quit Their Jobs. Retrieved September 19, 2018, from https://www.thebalancecareers.com/top-reasons-why-employees-quit-their-job-1918985.
• Morgan, J. (2018, August 31). How Your Organization Can Champion Diversity And Inclusion. Retrieved September 20, 2018, from https://thefutureorganization.com/organization-diversity-inclusion/.
• Vulcic, M. A. (2018, September 10). There's still much to do on improving equality in the workplace. Retrieved September 20, 2018, from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/commentary/article-theres-still-much-to-do-on-improving-equality-in-the-workplace/.